


Moirai Appeased...

by anesor



Series: Star Wars Snippets [14]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: AUish, Gen, Humor, holocrons like to lecture, post aotc, research is boring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:02:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21639280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anesor/pseuds/anesor
Summary: Holocrons may reveal deeper secrets than just history...
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Series: Star Wars Snippets [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/930086
Comments: 2
Kudos: 84
Collections: Shadows of the Saber (NaNo 2019 Star Wars short fiction collection)





	Moirai Appeased...

“ _**Ad Astra,”** _ the holocron whispered as Obi-Wan and Anakin hurried the recovered artifacts toward the Archives.

The Master slowed only a trifle, wondering why it spoke to them.

Anakin worried again about his soon to be former Master. This was supposed to be a straightforward mission to ease the Padawan back into his duties with his new hand.

Troop assignments were already in process and both were studying strategy and tactics manuals from at least a thousand years ago. Obi-Wan could see lightsaber tactics and Forms had changed from commentary, but he wanted tips on command and larger strategies, something Jedi had not utilized for a thousand years if not further back to the era of Jedi Lords.

Even that title alone left him uncomfortable.

This group of holocrons had been on long term loan to the Corellian Jedi, some forgotten for centuries and others mere months. Madame Nu recalled them all, seeking the accumulated wisdom in the holocrons for the first war in longer than living memory.

“Ad astra, what?”Anakin asked when inside a lift.

“I don’t know, Anakin. Holocrons can be very obtuse and Dark tainted ones even more so. Madame Nu will like inquire these circumstances to learn what the holocron wants to preserve.”

“ ** _Ad astra,_** **_ad caelum, ad desperandum._ The Order clings to thoughts of balance, thinking it is as simple as passion versus serenity and darkness versus light. Balance is simpler and more profound moderation. Reap what was first sown. Collect what was owed…” **

The ancient and now seeming genderless voice stopped speaking as the door opened into the Archives lobby area where creche classes and stressed Padawans hurried by.

“Right. Another old master talking in riddles.” Anakin’s sarcasm was very clear.

“Many riddles give insight. Most prophecies start as unanswered problems or answers, only clear in hindsight.” Obi-Wan walked toward the Chief Archivist’s office.

Skywalker glared toward the holocrons. “Then what good are they? We don’t have time to debate old fuzzy reasoning during a war. At least the Force tells me to duck. Philosophy led Dooku to start a war.”

A different voice from another holocron said “ _**Ad astra,** _ _**ad caelum** _ **,** _**ad arbitrium."** _

Master Nu rose from a work table with a look of concern. “How long has it been speaking? What has it said?”

“Poodoo about astras and ‘profound balance,’ Anakin scoffed.

Kenobi set his jaw. “It might be the beginning of a lecture or an actual interaction. But two holocrons mentioned something about ‘ad astra’ in the last few minutes as we crossed the Temple.”

Nu’s smile was academic gleeful. “You will be assigned to decant these, these may be new lessons in the start of old battle.”

Anakin’s muttered response was heartfelt and not in Basic, so both Masters elected to ignore him.

Shortly, the younger Jedi were ensconced in a small workroom equipped with recording devices and a tea set. To one which Anakin sent multiple disgruntled glares.

“Come, come, Padwan. We are exploring an inner world, not a hostile world. Worst that happens is that we spend a day or so seeking new insights, and you have time to visit your very close friend, the Senator from Naboo as well. If they don’t want to speak, you can study that reference on combat tactic loops we found.”

“Rather practice with my saber. I have to get better, Master!”

“As do we all. But it is not just with saber, but also choosing the right actions. Charging forward too soon can lose battle and your life. Do not emulate Master Qui-Gon at Theed like you did on Geonosis.”

“ _ **Ad astra,**_ _ **ad caelum**_ **,** _ **ut in extrema tardantur**_ **.** ”

“Kriff it!” Anakin swung his prosthetic hand to point at the four holocrons. “You _think_ you’re teaching us with those cryptic words, you’re just torturing us. Whatever you think we’ve already been taught, you’re way off. We got war and maybe Sith, being clever wastes your chance to teach. Maybe these were Darksiders’ holocrons, not Jedi...”

“ _ **Contemplations on**_ _ **foreordination**_ _ **on the macro level, subsection interpersonal relations, subsection training and duties. Master**_ _ **Kel**_ _**Nezuma**_ _**and Master Calista Qorbin, master seminars, RR237...”**_

Obi-Wan looked surprised and smiled with delight. “Most excellent. Good job, Anakin. Please begin playback.”

Anakin smiled smugly and lounged back.

One of the dry voices began a lecture. “Reflections of error and virtue are often displaced in time and mode to far for the lesson to be truly learned in a timely manner. Favor, feuds, and game playing are fruitful to teach the more obvious forms of repetition and reflection. Darksiders and presumably Sith of old received the same kinds of actions they dealt, but without balance and mercy the feedback loops invariably lead to early death and failure of goals no matter how innocent they seemed…”

“Did not a recent Unreturned trigger the current conflict and brought war to civilians and Jedi, not the ones in control of the Senate or Chancellor?” The other voice took over. “If he brought death and destruction to parties without agency on political decisions. Death and destruction will be brought to him in time. The Force usually returns what is given, the Codes attempt to modify and limit retribution from invoking actions and the inevitable reactions. Act with hatred and receive hatred back. Ride roughshod over sentients with the Force and the rebuttal will be worse.”

Obi-Wan listened as if taking mental notes, while Anakin tried to pretend he was alert.

The first voice spoke with a caustic bite. _**“Ad astra,**_ _ **ad caelum**_ **,** _ **ad desperandum**_ **.** Prophecies act as hints for larger actions and pending pendulum return to balance over months to centuries. Discount them at your peril. Reactions to prophecy in error, make the return swing even more violent. Fear comes back as tenfold anger...”

As Anakin’s eyes fluttered shut into sleep, Obi-Wan touched the holocron and it paused. “I would think you might find this more interesting, as commentary about the roles of Foresight and prophecies. We’ve had enough discussions about what we wonder about your role.”

“It’s all handwaving here, lectures about generalities without any names or events to back it up. Not as useful as dirt on a slave-holding Senator.” Anakin managed to combine a sneer and pouting.

The Master looked amused by the time the complaint ended. “This is introductory materials, we need only establish enough search terms or discern why the holocron chose to present this lecture _to us._ We are relatively at liberty, Padawan. The Senator will keep until the end of the legislative day.”

Anakin flushed and hunched his height down to look smaller… a fail. “Yes, Master.”

“ _**Master Nezuma , e ven saber forms seek to reflect an aspect of conflict back at the attacker. The chaos of combat and adaptation to the flow of the attacker becomes the core form taught to all Jedi. Rebutting the directed skill and anger of trained Sith becomes the duelist form two. All the way up to the final apogee fifth form of the Masters who ushered in the Reformation of Order and Republic with the end of Sith armies...”** _

That made Anakin sit up, hearing about _his_ form in period context.

Master Nezuma snickered. _**“You digress, my friend, b** _ _**ut** _ _**I am sure at least half of the class attends your words now far more than a few points back.”** _

Master Qorbin’s humor was clear. _**“And their Masters conceal their amusement, forgetting when they were the ones desperate to master their sabers** _ _**to impress. Neither** _ _**truly absorbs that reflection, imitation, or r** _ _**ebounding** _ _**interactions are known to perpetuate through entire lineages. Some lineages even unto the Reformations reflected too much of the arrogance of entitled nobility, even Sith-like lordship, leaving Jedi in those lines far to prone to not only falling, but** _ _**callousness** _ _**in the treatment of non-gifted and non-warleaders** _ _**such as healers and agri-specialists.** _ _**Arrogance of power became the most difficult reform as Force ability also demands the confidence in the Force** _ _**for effectiveness. The Jedi are to emulate the groundedness of the humble not the egos and arrogance of the r** _ _**uler** _ _**s.** _ _**Routing out the taints left behind by the Sith wars is the work of centuries.** _ _**O** _ _**ther kinds of contamination and problematic** _ _**weaknesses** _ _**may never be routed from the Order.”** _

“ _ **Specifics, my friend,”**_ Master Nezuma added. _**“S**_ _ **uch that we light the fire of research in our later students t**_ _ **o**_ _ **day. Most lineages contain some flaw, because Padawans usually learn that flaw from their Masters**_ _ **and pass it on in their turn.**_ _ **.**_ _ **B**_ _ **alancing**_ _ **karma delivers to the Master what they**_ _ **themselves**_ _ **did while young. Among non-gifted, some cultures call it ‘the mother’s curse,’ but it generalizes far more.**_ _ **While Masters may deny it, their elders can confirm they had that**_ _ **same**_ _ **flaw as young. Wise Masters admit them, others pretend it is a new problem in recent generations alone.”**_

Obi-Wan looked both enlightened and horrified, shaking his head the tiniest bit that Anakin noticed. Anakin asked an unvoiced question, but the head shake became embarrassed and the Master mouthed the word, ‘later.’

Master Qorbin replied. _**“Ah, specifics. There are so many lineages that cherish their flaws, be they vanity, impatience, recklessness, or pure detachment. Some like the unfortunate Revan, actual** _ _**ly** _ _**faced friends and** _ _**direct** _ _**lineage in deadly combat. The Force surely cried out in pain from that dissonance. The greatest concerns come from the extremes of what were once virtues. Detachment of the most pure kind is as dangerous as passion.** _ _**Jedi make themselves blind to the Force’s will when clinging to extremes. Balance provides for little force in the pendulum’s inevitable swing. ‘Equal and opposite reactions’ can do little harm when calm and in balance. D** _ _**oom** _ _**cannot destroy if not** _ _**hing** _ _**is owed...”** _

Laughter from _Master Nezuma_ ended the quiet moment. _**“We have been leading them along enough, my friend. There is ample evidence of Jedi learning from poor examples** _ _**and then passing it on.** _ _**One of our newer** _ _**Knights** _ _**was well known for being tossed into the middle of bandits or other** _ _**strident confrontations** _ _**by his much taller Master** _ _**and making himself a target. Thus his own Master N'Kata Del Gormo and the Council were needlessly alarmed at how little he cared for his own safety...”** _

By this time both Obi-Wan and Anakin had slightly flushed faces and refused to look at each other.

“ _ **...We feel sure that Knight Yoda will pass that reckless trait unto his lineage, no matter how long he serves the Force.**_ _**Likewise Master Ra’lesh had trouble connecting with more humble peoples, be they slaves or poor...”** _

Obi-Wan stopped the presentation. “I believe we have enough to index this lecture properly now.”

Anakin grinned. “So Master Yoda used to be just as bad as us. Are there any records that far back, or will we have to slice to get mission reports, Master?”

Obi-Wan looked torn. “Whatever Count Dooku intended when he started, it has proven very reckless. I doubt I could argue convincingly against that rating for our lineage. It is far easier to see in others.”

“You want proof of it, too.” Anakin reeked of an unholy glee in the Force.

Completely awake in the Archives, yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone has secrets, even Jedi Masters.
> 
> Translations: (I think) yeah, they are trying to warn  
> Moirai-fate, or more specifically the three fates  
> ad astra- to the stars  
> ad caelum- to the sky  
> ad desperandum- to the despair  
> ut in extrema tardantur- to the tragedy  
> ad arbitrium- to the choice
> 
> This story was part of a 2019 NaNo collection of stories.
> 
> Star Wars is the property of George Lucas and Disney. No infringement is intended and no profit is made from this fanfic.


End file.
